Heat
by NerdierThanYou
Summary: Post Avatar the Last Airbender. Also on AO3.. Katara feels herself melting underneath his heat. She knows it's wrong. She knows they should stop, she knows she should tell Aang. But she won't. When Aang holds her, she feels nothing. And when Zuko kisses her, she feels afire.


The first few weeks with Aang are easy. He is so happy to have defeated Ozai, and to have his friends all with him together, and Katara can feel his happiness radiating from him. Nothing much has changed between them, only instead of hugging her goodnight, Aang tries to kiss Katara instead. Katara doesn't mind really, and most of the time she lets his lips touch her own. There is just one problem — She feels nothing.

His kisses are airy, like his favorite bending form, so light it is as if he isn't kissing her at all. She feels no heat in the pit of her stomach, no fireworks, no tingle upon her lips when he pulls away. If anything, it feels more like the kisses she received from the elders in her village when she was young — utterly familial and platonic.

But she isn't supposed to feel so un-romantic with Aang. They are _together._ That's what he always says. He brings it up in any and every conversation,

"This is my Katara! We're together!"

"Did you hear? Me and Katara are together!"

She hates it. She hates that he tells everyone they are together, when he hasn't even talked to her about it. But she never says anything, just nods her head and smiles a smile that never reaches her eyes. If Aang ever notices anything he doesn't say.

So, she spends more and more time with the newly crowned Firelord. Zuko asks for her advice, her input on his way of ruling and Katara feels like she is worth something. Zuko makes her feel like she is worth something. She often wonders when she sits with him in the throne room discussing peace, if this is how it should be with Aang and if she is with the wrong person. But then Mai comes in, a smile on her lips for Zuko, but hatred in her eyes for Katara and Katara is alone.

"Zuko _dear,_ I haven't seen you all day! It's rude to leave your new girlfriend alone like this," and Mai kisses him right in front of Katara, her eyes stay open. He never kisses her back.

Every day, Katara tries to ask him the same thing, "Why did you dive in front of Azula's lightning for me? You easily could have redirected it"

Every day Zuko responds the same way, "I don't know." He lies. She knows he lies. So, she continues to ask the question.

He changes the subject, "So I hear you and Aang are together…"

"How'd you hear that?"

He laughs, "Katara I think half the nation knows by now."

"I wish he wouldn't do that," she sighs, shaking her head.

"You know you can tell him to stop, right?"

And then she looks at him, "Can I though?"

"You're a powerful Waterbender and a strong woman, you can tell him it makes you uncomfortable. Just because he's the Avatar, doesn't mean he can monopolize your relationship."

"When did you get so old and wise?" And they laugh.

"I think you just spend too much time with Aang, everyone seems mature compared to him."

"Hey!" She whacks his arm and laughs, but she doesn't disagree.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"It's fine," and it is, "Zuko, I'm really glad you're alive."

"I'm glad I'm alive too," he laughs. But then he hugs her. Warmth envelopes Katara and she feels herself melting into Zuko's touch. After they part, Katara looks at his eyes and then his lips and wonders if kissing him would make her feel so warm.

* * *

But, the first time it happened it is an accident. She is checking up on him a month after the Agni-Kai. She sits in his palatial bedroom dressed in Fire Nation garb as she tends to Zuko's scar. Her hands already on his bare chest from the healing. He says something like, "Thank you Katara". In truth, she doesn't remember because suddenly her lips are on his. Searching desperately for the warmth she felt when they hugged. He doesn't respond at first, his mouth frozen from shock. But then, she feels the fire in him stirring. His mouth is hot as he begins to respond to the kiss. His hands on her body, pulling her on top of him.

Aang's kisses never feel like this.

Zuko has her hard and quick and it hurts at first. And when he comes, it is Katara's name on his lips. She'd never liked heat before that moment, but she likes his heat. They lay there panting, not saying anything, both suddenly crushed by the weight of the betrayal they had just placed on their significant others.

"This is wrong." He whispers. And she agrees, it is wrong. She dresses quickly and leaves quietly, a tear forming in her eye.

That night she sits by Aang's side and he asks, "How was Zuko today? I heard you went there to service him."

Katara chokes on air before realizing that Aang, in his innocence doesn't get the hidden connotation within his words, "Uh, yes, I went to heal Zuko. He is doing well, I think he is all healed from the lightning, all that's left is the scar."

Aang smiles at this and reaches for Katara's hands. His hands are cold and Katara feels nothing.

* * *

The second time it happens, Katara realizes she is in trouble.

They are talking. Well, fighting in his private chamber.

"We can't afford to give them anymore!"

"But Ba Sing Se is in ruins," She is livid

"So is nearly every other big city! I can't give all our resources to one city, no matter how much I love the city. Omashu needs fixing, Ember Island, Aang needs supplies for the Air Temples. Fire Nation can't afford all of this."

"UGH! Why do you have to mention _him?_ "

"Him?Aang? Your _boyfriend?_ Why can't I mention him?"

And they look at each other, fire in his eyes, ice in hers. It is a challenge — one Katara doesn't plan on loosing. She steps closer to him, defiance in her eyes, "because I don't ever want to think about _him_ when I am with _you._ "

They are close enough for Katara to feel his breath and she swears she feels the temperature rise, "We shouldn't do this" his voice is deeper, breathier and Katara sees him slowly lose control.

She takes a step away, about to give up and leave. But then, in a flash, she's pressed against the wall and his lips are on hers once more. He kisses jaw and neck and when he presses his hot lips against her collar bone, Katara's breath gets lost in her throat. His lips are everywhere, placing hot kisses down her body. She thinks she should tell him to stop when his kisses move lower, below her navel. But the words never make it out because now his lips have made it even lower. And this time, it's Zuko's name on her lips as the passion overtakes her.

Afterwards, Katara kisses Zuko and she swears she can feel the electricity within him.

And it keeps happening like this. They fight, they fuck, and they regret. They never talk about their relationship and Katara knows they should. But they don't.

Aang never pressures Katara to go further than kissing, the Avatar still in the throes of childhood, and Katara is thankful. But Katara finds her head turning away when Aang leans into a kiss. At night, she dreams of Zuko and the heat she feels with him.

"Why do we do this?" he asks one night as they lay together.

She doesn't know the answer. Instead she reveals a secret, "I don't love Aang. Not the way I should at least."

"I don't love Mai," and they laugh. They laugh until tears fall from their eyes and their throats feel raw, "I should tell her, shouldn't I?"

Her smile fades, "Probably. And I should tell Aang."

"Will you though?"

"I don't know," she sighs as she shifts in the bed, "it's complicated. I don't think Aang really gets romance, or dating, or relationships in any way. I mean, he thinks that because he kissed me, that means that we are going to be together forever. He doesn't even talk to me about us. In fact, save a few chaste kisses, our relationship hasn't changed at all."

"I think Mai suspects something," they're both revealing secrets now, "I want to end things with her, but…"

"But what?"

"When we got back together she sort of threatened me to never break up with her," their foreheads touch and as he speaks, his hand absentmindedly run through her hair, "and Mai is kind of terrifying."

"She doesn't like me."

"I know. She told me so the day of the Agni Kai when she got out of prison. She said she didn't like that I risked my life for you the way I did. She said that Azula thought that you were my weakness," his hand runs up and down her spine, "she was right."

"What?"

"You are my weakness. Always have been."

And Katara knows she loves him. She won't tell Zuko though, not yet. They're not dating, they're not even in a real relationship. They just fuck and talk and ignore their problems. But she loves him anyway.

* * *

After a few months of staying in the Fire Nation capitol, Aang decides it is time for them to move on.

"I was thinking we could travel to the Air Temples first! And then we could just fly on Appa and just go anywhere we want to! Can we, Katara?! Can we?"

Katara looks at Aang. She sees his eyes filled with excitement. His mouth drawn up in a smile. And all she can think is, _child._ She is a mother to her boyfriend and now more than ever, she feels so wrong, "I can't go." The words spill out before she can think about the repercussions.

"What do you mean!? Of course you can!" He tries to touch her shoulder in support but Katara stands up and walks quickly away.

"No Aang, I can't go with you. I can't _be_ with you." _I love someone else,_ she wants to tell him. _I love Zuko._

Their breakup is short but unsurprisingly difficult. Aang doesn't quite understand how Katara could possibly not chose him. And Katara works hard to make him get that she still loves him, but that she loves him the way a mother loves a son or the way an older sister loves her brother. He finally storms away and disappears into the night on Appa's back. Sokka and Suki run into her room to comfort her. But Katara isn't sad.

Toph comes in a moment later, a smile forming on her lips. She doesn't say anything, but the blind Earthbender is glad Katara finally had the strength to let Aang go. She pats Katara on the shoulder and tells her that she is better without Twinkletoes.

Katara goes to him at night. Easily slipping past the guards. She walks straight into his bedchamber, knowing that Mai doesn't share his bed at night yet. He is sleeping. His face illuminated by the flames still ignited in the fireplace. He looks peaceful in his sleep. The sharp lines that give him an air of intimidation have softened and he looks almost relaxed. She stands at the foot of the bed watching him breathe, so peaceful she almost doesn't want to wake him up. But, as if sensing another's presence, Zuko is up in a flash, flames already ready in his hands — prepared for an attack.

"Who's ther- oh, it's just you," and he relaxes, "Why are you here?"

"Aang is gone. I ended things with him and he left." She waits expectantly for his reply.

"Oh."

"Is that all you have to say? Oh?" she asks

"I don't know," he shrugs, "What would you like me to say?"

She isn't sure, "Something. Anything. That I did the right thing. That I'm not a horrible person for breaking up with The Avatar."

He walks towards her, "You're not a horrible person. You did the right thing, you didn't love him."

But now the floodgates have opened, "But I am a bad person! He saved the world and I cheated on him! I slept with someone else and I never told him!"

"Does he even know what sex is yet?" She slaps him, "Sorry."

"I'm not joking Zuko! What were we thinking?!" She finally has to have the hard conversation.

"Well I don't really think we were thinking and that's the point."

"No, we weren't thinking."

He is breathing hard and so is she. He looks away from her and stares into the fire, "Do you regret what we did?"

"Yes! No! I don't know. I regret what I did to Aang. I regret what you did to Mai," she takes a deep breath, "But I don't regret what we did Zuko."

His eyes move from the fire and back to stare into her eyes, "You don't regret me?"

"No." She takes a step forwards to get closer to him. She is unyielding under his gaze and walks slowly and deliberately.

"What are we going to do?" he asks.

"I can leave, go away somewhere if you want to make it work with Mai. She'd be a good match for you. I'd just get in the way. I'll go back home, or travel with my brother and Suki. I want you to be happy, I can go if you want."

She waits for him to agree. To tell her that it's for the best, their separation. She waits for him to walk away, to say that it was good while it lasted and to say that she should go. Instead, he kisses her. It's a light kiss, chaste like Aang's, but Katara can feel the blood in her body heat up. She can feel the heat in the pit of her stomach, and she knows she loves the heat. The kiss is over almost as soon as it begins, "I don't want to make it work with Mai," he kisses her again, "I don't want you to leave me."

She doesn't ask any more questions. She doesn't worry about the details. She doesn't think about the repercussions of a Firelord being publically involved with a Waterbender. They have so much to talk about, but she doesn't care. She just smiles and lets his lips melt the ice within her.


End file.
